Cell Free Systems Conference

Cell-free Cells

Author

Kate Adamala - Presenter, University of Minnesota
All of biological science to date has been done on a sample size that equals one: that of the modern, terrestrial life. The development of cell-free transcription and translation systems allows us, for the first time, to expand the chassis for biological experimentation. Cell-free protein expression can be used to create analogues of various biological processes, reconstituting natural functionalities and building new ones. We can include variety of unnatural biochemistries, and explore physical and chemical limitations of the life as we know it.

Learning how to engineer a novel live cell from set of completely understandable parts will provide a leap in our understanding of life, and will also result in novel technologies and tools beneficial for the scientific community and society. Tools developed for synthetic cells can be used for molecular biology and basic research, as well as for biotechnology and biomedical applications.

Cell-free systems already allow us shortening of the classical design - build - test cycle of biological experimentation. Encapsulating cell-free translation machinery inside a liposome - creating a synthetic minimal cell, allows adding a layer of complexity that turns cell-free systems into experiments that approach in complexity simplest known live cells.

We develop new tools for protein evolution and for reconstitution of natural processes in cell-free systems and in synthetic cells, investigating the limits of natural life and the possibilities of biological engineering outside of the natural chassis.